Escape trick device



Patented Apr. 1.9, 1927.

UNITED STATES THEoDoRE viarnulvlvma, or Los ANGELES, cALTFonNIA.

' ESCAPE TRICK DEVICE.

Application led November 24, 1925. SerialvNo. 71,150.

`This invention relates to an escape trick device or a type of. puzzle.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved trick or puzzle which can be used in exhibitions and consists essentially of the following: The exhibitor is shackled hand and foot and a plurality of rings are, pos1- tioned about his arms and legs. Suitable tie devices connect the Vseparate rings through one another and throughthe arms and legs respectively of the exhibitor. These tie devices are also fastened to a tie bar or other support and yare so arranged that from appearances it seems impossible for the exhibitor to free himself from them. The

y trick device or puzzle Vis so constructed,

however, that in performing certain'operations or movements of the various rings, it is possible for the exhibitor to completely free himself from them without removing the shacklesv or severing or untying the tie devices. The invention can also be em ,bodied in the form of a puzzle in which the arms or lefrs and the body and the shackles view which will be made manifest in lthe following detailed description 4and specifically pointed vout in the appended claims,

reference'is had to the accompanying drawingsfor an illustrative embodiment of the invention, whereimv Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the initial positionlof the trick device, as positioned upon the body of an exhibitor whois to free himself from the rings without removing the shackles or severing or.

untying the tie devices, and 10 A'ous positions taken by the rings in performing .the operations to remove them, these rings being illustrated in theseigures as applied to a mechanical member which can be substituted for the arms Aor the legs of the exhibitor. A T.

Referring -to vthe accompanying drawings wherein similar reference charactersdesignate similar parts throughout. the exhibitor 10 has his hands and feet` shackled as'by shackles 11 and 12 respectively, these shack les being suitable hand-cuffs and the like which lare so constructed that .they cannot be slipped over the wrists or ankles of the exhibitor. About thelegs of the exhibitor are arranged a set of equally sized rings,

of the exhi itor canl be represented by a suit-- Figs. 2 to 10 inclusive illustrate the var iand in a similar manner another set of equally sized rings indicated at 13 are positioned about the arms. As both sets of rings are identical in construction and thel loperation of freeing them is the same, the following descri tion will apply only to freeing the set o rings indicated at 13 from the arms.

The rings are four in number andare respectively indicated at 14, 15, 16 and 17. The ring 14 constitutes the end ring and a flexible tie device 18, such as a rope, cable, or

chain, is tied to it adjacent its top and extends downwardly between the arms and is fastened to the tie bar or other stationary structure 19. A similar tie device 20 is fastened to the top of the ring 15 and extends downwardly between the arms and through the ring 14 and is then "attached to the tie bar 19. The tie device 21 is fastened to the,

.top of the ring 16 and passes through the ring 15 between the arms and is aisotied to the tie bar 19. In a similar manner the tie device 22 is fastenedto the top of the ring 17 and passes downwardly between the arms and through the ring16 and is thentied to the tie bar.

In Fig. 2 the two arms of the exhibitor 'are indicated by parallel bars 23 which are connected at one end by a cross bar 24. The

ends' of the parallel bars 423 are enlarged or bent upwardly, as at 25, so that the shackle 11 cannot besli pedover the ends of the parallel bars. s a slight change in construction, the shackle 11 upon the member shown in Fig. 2 may havesubstituted for it a crossbar similar to the cross bar 24, it merely being essential that an elongated member be provided over which each of the 'rings is capable of passing and that there be" an aperture formed through-the member through which the rings are capable of being slipped or passed.

The rst step in removing the rings is as follows: As shown in Fig. 2, the two endl rings 16 and 17 are slipped over or oi the ends of the arms of the exhibitor or ofll the ends of the parallel bars `23. The flexible tie devices 21 and22 which are attached to these rings are merely drawn upwardly between the arms and rest upon the tol of the shackle 11. In such a position the two rings 16 and 17 can be dropped through the aperture or vb etween the parallel bars between the shackle 11 and the ring 15, which is one of the rings remaining on the bars. When this has been done, the`rings assume a position similar to that shown in Fig'. 3, with the tie device 22 merely `con necting the-ring 17 through the ring 1G. The tie device 421 connects the ring 16 through the ring 15 to the tie bar 19. The jrin 14 and 15 remain in their original positions. When in this position the ring 15 can be slip ed oi the ends of the parallel bars, as s own in Fi 4, with` its tie device 2O resting on top o the shackle 11. The ring 14 is also caused to slip off the ends of the arms or bars 23 and when in' such position the tie device 20 will bepassing through it and the tie device 18 will be connectinl the ring 14 through the aperture to the tie bar. The ring 14 is then passed through the` aperture so that it can slide down on the tie device 20 A to a position, as shown in Fig. 5, adjacent the tie bar. The ring 15 is then positioned over the parallel bars 23, as shown in Fig. 5,v an then caused to pass upwardly through the aperture or opening between the paralleli 'bars 23 and the shackle 11 and the ring 15.

After this `has been done, they may be sli ped onto the bars 23 over the shackle an caused to assumel a position as shown in Fig. 6. The next step is to withdraw -the ring 17 from over the shackled ends of the bars and then drop it between the bars and between the shackle 11 and the ring 16, so that it `ma assume the position as illustrated in the ring 16 oi of'the ends of the bars and also sli oit the ring 15.- After the ring 15 has n en slipped oil of the ends of the bars, it is caused to be dropped through the a rture between the arms or bars vand will 'dedown upon the tie device 21, assumng a position. adjacent the tie bar 19 as' illustrated'in Fig. 8. The ring 16 is then slipped onto-the bars as shown in Fig. v8, and t e ring 17 is caused'to pass Aupwardly between the bars and between t e ring-16' and the shackle .11. After it has been so placed, it is slip ed onto the bars assuming the position` s own in Fig. 9.. From such a position both of the rings 16 and 17 are slipped off of the ends of the bars and can be caused toassume the position shown in Fig. 10, from which both of them may be simultaneously dropped between the bars, and in this manner the niember which is used fortlie substitute for the body, arms and shackle of the exhibitor isy completely detached from the tie bar 19 without re uiring the removing of the shackle or t e untying or severing of any of the tie devices. Furthermore,1as all of the rings are of equal size, one ring cannot be passed throu h another.

When the tric is displayed'as by an ex,- hibitor 10, his arms and wrists are capable the two ringsA 16 and 17 are.

ig. 7.- The next step is -to-slip vLeers-ita of some movement, which is suiiici'ent to shiftjthe various rings through the necessary steps. When the hands of the exhibitor have been completely freed, he may then sit up'and remove the set of rings -from liis l0 legs in a similar manner.

It is possible for the rings to be again applied to'the exhibitor or to the substitute i member by shiftin them through the various positions in t e lreverse manner.

From the rabove it will be appreciated that an. improved trick devicel is provided wherein it appears that it is impossible by simplicity. It is contemplated within the' scope of the invention to form these tie devices by using a single strand orrope or cable which is looped' around the various rings and passed through the other rings and wrapped around the tie b ar, which conlsingle tie ropes 18, 20, 21 and 22 and 'causes the device to have a much more mystifying struction serves the same purpose as thev appearance, in thatv only two knots are required to `fasten the single cable to the tie, i bar, one knot .being ateach end, and .dur-- ing the operation of the trick neither ofthese knots is loosened or the tie device severed.

It will be understood that various changes ioo in the detail of construction may be made y without departing'from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appendedclaims. A I claim': 1-. An escape trick device comprising 4a te bar, a plurality of equally sized rings, ilexi-` ble tie means connecting one of-the rings to the tie bar, and flexible tie means connecting each successive ring through its adjacent ring to the -tie bar.

' 2. An escape trick device comprising a A tie bar, a plurality of equally sized rings, flexible tie means connecting one of the rings to the tie bar, flexible tie means connecting each successive ring through' its adjacent ring to the tie bar, an elongated member over which said rings are capable of pass ing, and means defining an aperturethrough said member through which the rings are capable of passing.

3. An Vescape ,trick device comprising a tie bar, a plurality of equally sized rings, an elongated vmember having an aperture arranged therethrough through which the rings arev capable .of passing, said member having said rings 'positioned thereabout, iiexible tie'means connecting an end ring through the aperture to said tie bar, and flexible 'tie means connecting each of the other rings through the aperture and ring to the flexible tie bar, tie means conthrough the next a jacent ring toward the necting'the third ring throu h the second 10 end ring to the tie bar. ring tothe tie bar, and fiexl 1e tie means 4. An escape trick device comprising a connecting the fourth ring through the 5 tie bar or equivalent support, four equally' third ring to the .tie bar.` sized rings, exible tie means connecting In testunony whereof I .have signed my an endring to the tiebar, iexible tie means name to thisiiecication.

connecting the second ring through the end ODORE P. BRUNN ER. 

